By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Lawmakers have decried the incessant maltreatment of indigenes of Ogun State who are of the Egun tribal/sub ethnic group by a Federal Government agency – the Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS).
The lawmakers – Hon. Adebisi Oyedele,
a member of the state house of assembly representing Ipokia/ Idiroko state constituency and his counterparts representing Ado-Odo/ Ota 2 state constituency, Hon. Musefiu Lamidi and Yewa North 1 state constituency, Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju, sought an end to the alleged routine practice of treating their people as non – Nigerians by the Immigration officials.
Hon. Adebisi Oyedele who raised the matter on the floor of the Ogun Assembly chamber under personal explanation during plenary on Tuesday and it was corroborated by his colleagues – Hon. Musefiu Lamidi and Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju.
They reported the challenges being faced by some of the residents of border communities in their various constituencies in Ogun West Senatorial District in the hands of the federal officials, including difficulty in recognising the Egun people as Nigerians, and the issue of sales of fuel 20km from the land borders.
According to them, the residents who are of Egun descent, were being denied Nigerian passports despite meeting all application requirements.
Consequently, Speaker Oludaisi Elemide
took step to seek the immediate intervention of the State Government and the management of Nigeria Immigration Service on the matter.
Elemide said that there was need to look into the allegations of the maltreatment of the minority group in the State, declaring that “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
He therefore requested an official engagement with the State Comptroller of Immigration and the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to investigate the complaints and demand the State Government intervention to prevent further marginalisation.
